Ladder



June 24 1924. 1,499,300

G. HAYES LADDER Original Filed 001;. 24 1921,

INVENTOR WITNES$1E$ ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1924.

1 UNITED STATES mama PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT HAYES, or ATHENs, GEORGIA.

Application filed October 24, 1921, Serial N a-509,861. Renewed December 1 1, 1923.

To all who m, it may concern:

zen of the United States, residing at Athens,

in the county of Clarke and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of whichthe following is a specification. I

My present invention has reference to a ladder construction.

My object is to produce a ladder which may be employed on uneven surfaces, as for instance, one leg may rest on a step or similar elevation and the other leg may be supported on the ground surface.

A further object is to produce a ladder construction in which one of the legs thereof is shorter than the other leg, the shorter leg having supported for longitudinal move ment thereon an extension leg and the supporting means for the extension leg carrying devices to engage therewith for holding the extension leg adjusted on the shorter leg. A further object is to produce a ladder in which one of the legs thereof is of a greater length than the other, and in which metallic cross sectionally rounded members are disposed transversely between the legs and which have at their ends collars surrounding and secured to the legs, the collars, on the shorter leg being extended beyond the outer side thereof to provide guideways for a rack bar in the nature of an ex tension leg, and the said collars having means thereon, in the nature of catches to engage between the teeth of the rack surface of the extension leg and for holding the extension leg adjusted on the ladder.

The foregoing, and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative association of parts, such as is disclosed by the drawings which accompany and which form part of this application.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ladder constructed in accordance with this, invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the latch and rack bar.

Figure 4: is a detail view of a section of the ladder, showing one of the auxiliary rounds in elevation.

As disclosed by the drawings, the ladder is of the usual construction, one of the legs 1, however, iscof a greater length than the leg 2 so th'at'the leg 1 projects beyond the leg 2 for a considerable distance at the bottom of the ladder. The legs are connected by the usual rounds 3.

I Arranged for slidable movement on the outer face of the short leg 2 is an extension leg 4. The extension leg is substantially rectangular in cross section, corresponding to the cross sectional contour of the leg 2, and the outer face of the extension leg is provided with a rack surface 5. i

Arranged on the legs 1 and 2, disposed between certain of the rounds 3, and also positioned preferably equidistantly away from each other are spaced pairs of collars 6 and 7 respectively. The respective pairs of spaced collars are preferably integrally formed with connecting elements 8. Preferably the collars and the connecting means therebetween are constructed from a flat sheet of metal, the flat ends of which being bent or otherwise shaped to provide the cross sectionally rectangular collars that surround the legs, while the metal between the collars is slitted inwardly from the edges there of and the portions between the slits are rolled to provide the connecting members 8. The collars 7 which surround the short leg 2 are also arranged around the extension leg 4 and provide guides for the said leg. The collars are secured to the legs by means 9, and latch supporting members 12 and 13 fastened to the collars 7 support latch members 10 that are designed to engage with the teeth on the rack surface of the extension leg 1, and thereby sustain the extension leg longitudinally adjusted on the short leg of the ladder. Member 12 may be a bracket over which one end of the latch member is bent to form an eye as shown so as to be capable of swinging movement; the other end of the latch being engaged under the spring clip 13. Spaced lugs' 14 extend inwardly from the intermediate portions of the latch and engage the notches of the rack to holdthe extension in place.

The clip 13 is of such resiliency as to hold the latch member in operative position, but when it is desired to change the position of the extension leg 4, the clip will give freely under the force that would be required to swing it around to disengage the lugs 14 of the latch from the teeth of the rack surface 5.

The extension leg provides an effective 7 means whereby the ladder may be supported on irregular surfaces, While the members employed for slidably connecting the ex tension legs to theladder serve to mate rially reinforce the ladder construction, and the connecting elements 8 for the opposed pairs of collars 6 and 7 may, if desired be employed as additional rounds 'for the ladder.

Having described the invention, I claim A ladderat its loiver end having one of its legs longer than its other leg, collars arranged in opposed pairs surrounding and secured to the respective legs of the ladder and also disposed between the rounds of the ladder, each pair of said collars being constructed of a metal plate having its ends bent upon themselves, to provide the collars proper and being slitted inwardly from said collars, and the metal bounded by the slits rolled upon itself to provide a cross sectionally rounded connecting member for the pair of collars, the collars on the shorterleg projecting beyond the outer face there- Oiflll extension leg having va rack-like outer surface disposed for elidable movement on the outer face of the shorter leg and guided through the collars thereof and latch means carried by the last mentioned collars for engaging with the raclr lilte surfaceof the eX- tension leg. 7

In testimony whereof I a; mysignature.

GXLBERT HAYES 

